We are becoming increasingly dependent on the computer for our everyday activities, whether at work or for leisure. The personal computer (PC), along with the Internet, has revolutionized the way we work, obtain information, and play. However, a great number of people may have problems working with a modern computer because it requires that they be proficient with a computer mouse or other pointing device such as a touchpad or trackball. (In this document, we will refer to all such computer pointing devices that a user uses to move a cursor on the computer screen generically as “mice” or “computer mice”.)
Almost all current computer operating systems (OS) on PCs and computer workstations, whether it is Microsoft Corporation's Windows,® Apple Computer Inc.'s Mac OS, flavors of Unix or Linux, use a windowing interface that utilizes clickable icons and menus on the computer screen. To input commands to the computer, a user commonly uses a mouse to move a cursor on the screen, and to click on the mouse's button(s) to click on icons, buttons, webpage links, drag-down menus and the like. (A mouse click is the action of pressing (i.e. ‘clicking’) a button on a mouse in order to trigger an action on the computer). The trend of using mouse-clicks for input appear likely to continue into the future, as it has become ingrained into the way we interact with our computers.
Clicking on a mouse button require a certain nimbleness in the user's fingers, especially for operations such as double-clicks (in which the user clicks on the mouse button twice in rapid succession), drag-and-drops (in which the user clicks and holds the mouse button, moves the cursor and then releases the mouse button), copy-and-paste (in which the cursor is moved to the beginning of the text, the mouse button held down, and the cursor dragged across the text to be marked) and even triple-clicks (in which the user presses the button three times in quick succession, most commonly seen in word processors and web browsers to select a whole section of text). However, a user suffering from arthritis or other ailments of the finger joints may lack the capacity to perform these required actions to operate the computer properly.
Finger and thumb arthritis are a common affliction that affect many people and their ability to use a computer mouse properly. There are two types of arthritis that commonly affect the fingers and thumb. These are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis, also called degenerative joint disease and wear-and-tear arthritis, is the most common type of arthritis. In this condition, the normal cartilage is steadily worn away, exposing bare bone at the joints. Rheumatoid arthritis causes a different type of joint destruction, commonly affecting knuckles at the base of the fingers. Patients suffering from hand arthritis often find it difficult, painful, or even impossible to perform the clicking action on the mouse button with their finger. Apart from arthritis, there are other afflictions that may affect a user's use of his or her fingers, including complications from a stroke, Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI) such as carpel tunnel syndrome, and tendonitis.
The fact is, even a user with healthy hands may develop complications associated with RSI with prolonged repetitions of mouse clicking. Studies have shown that a user may click the mouse button upwards of two million times a year. What is desired is a system that can eliminate the need for clicking on mouse buttons that any user, whether those with healthy hands or those having problems with them, will find beneficial.
A number of prior art devices have been developed to aid remove the need for mouse clicks. Foot pedals, including ones available from Fentek Industries, Arizona, seek to replace clicking of the mouse button with a foot-operated pedal or button. While these devices may alleviate the problems with hand and finger related afflictions, they merely replace one set of mechanical actions with another. The repetitive use of foot presses may also lead to repetitive stress injuries of the foot and ankle. Further, for most people, the foot is far less nimble than the hand, leading to delays in operation of the computer.
Other products have attempted to eliminate the need for mouse clicks via mouse software. Quill Nib (formerly Mouse Tools) from Design Appliances, Inc. is one such program that simulates clicks of the mouse whenever the cursor stops moving. However, this requires the user to move the cursor away from the button once the software automatically clicks on a button, or the software will click on the button more than once and leading to unintended results. Further, it doesn't differentiate between left and right mouse button clicks or simulate the more complicated operations such as triple-clicks and drag and drops.
What is desired, therefore, is a system that is easily adaptable for use with a windowing OS that eliminates the need for the user to click the mouse button for interacting with the computer.
What is also desired is a system that is simple to operate and does not require significant training for a user to be adept at using. The system should be intuitive to any user that is already accustomed to operating a computer with mouse-clicks.
The system should be configurable for different users' preferences and different levels of expertise.
The system should be as useable with any computer cursor pointing device, whether a mouse, touchpad, pointing stick, or trackball.